A TORNADO IN WESTLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8097, 30 April 1906, Page 2

A TORNADO IN WESTLAND.

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE AT GREYMOUTH. RAILWAYS INTERRUPED. . TBE PRESS ASSOCIATION. GiiEyMo.UTH, Apfil 29. A tornado, struck a portion of tho town at 9.30 on Saturday night.

The wind blew with hurricane force, estimated at seventy to eighty miles an hour, coming from the north-west. The area affected was about two or threo chains in width.

Tho wind carried all before it, blowing over fonccs, ing down brick and broaking windows. No ono was injured. At the Trotting Club's course the grandstand was completely unroofed, and tho corrugated iron scattered all ovor .the course. Iu its flight it broko the palings of the fences an,d, the rails of the fence ro.uud the. course. Sheets of iron from the roof were carriod a distxnee of a quarter of a mile

The damage done to some residences rendered them temporarily uninhabitable, At the Suburban Hotel, the roof and the posts of the verandah were lifted bodily and deposited behind the building. The same thin? happened to the verandahs of two residences further-up the stroet. Three houses, in between, were unjnjurod. The damage to the [Trotting Club's grandstand, fence and course is estimated* at two to throe hundred pounds. Th,e Qthor damage it is imppssibAe to ostiuufce, but tho tota.l is probably under a thousand pounds.

Unconfirmed reports state that the Presbyterian Church at Brunnor has been demolished and a church under eveotion at Blackball shifted off tho piles.

Bailway communication to Otira is interrupted oiviug to a washout. It is reported that a store there has: beep demolished and tho ca.Qpern^ lve workers' tents wreoked.